The subject matter herein relates generally to electrical connector systems.
Some electrical connector systems and/or components thereof include a recordable feature that is used to record and log a presence, position, characteristic, or the like of the connector system during a manufacturing process or an assembly process. For example, a characteristic may be recorded that indicates whether a first connector is mated to a complementary second connector. It may be useful to record that the first and second connectors are mated to verify that such a connection has been made in the assembly process and/or to verify the presence of the first and second connectors in a larger product that is being assembled, such as an automobile or an appliance. Such data may be stored in a database.
One known mechanism for recording when a first connector is mated to a second connector utilizes fasteners that are configured to be torqued, such as screws or threaded bolts. The fasteners may connect the first connector to the second connector or to a structure on which the second connector is mounted. The connector system may be configured such that a fastener is only able to connect the first and second connectors when the first and second connectors are fully mated or at least close to being fully mated. The torque on the fastener can be a characteristic that is measured and recorded to indicate that the first and second connectors are mated. However, this known mechanism of recording torque on a fastener in order to indicate that a pair of connectors is mated has several disadvantages. For example, the fasteners may not be necessary components of the mating process between the first and second connectors, such that a primary use of the fasteners is as a recordable feature. But, using fasteners increases part costs, increases assembly steps and complexity of assembly, and also consumes valuable space along the connector system. For example, the connector system may be configured to be loaded into a narrow compartment. The fasteners may interfere with wiring or other components in the compartment, and/or there may not be sufficient clearance in the compartment for a tool that engages and actuates the fastener. Furthermore, a torque measurement is only specific to the fastener that is engaged, not to an electrical connector or connector system. Therefore, it is possible for a worker to erroneously or purposefully circumvent installing the fastener and recording the torque on the fastener to log that a first pair of connectors are mated by recording the torque on a different fastener between a different, second pair of connectors and associating that measurement with the first pair of connectors in a log or database.
A need remains for another mechanism for recording information about an electrical connector system or component thereof during a manufacturing or assembly process.